Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 38

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति ।
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि ॥

Transliteration

kaccinnobhayavibhraṣṭaśchinnābhramiva naśyati .
apratiṣṭho mahābāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi ॥

Meaning

O mighty-armed Krishna, fallen from both, without support and bewildered on the path to Brahman, does he not perish like a scattered cloud?

Word meanings

कच्चित् – is it that (expresses anxious doubt)
न – not
उभयविभ्रष्टः – fallen from both
छिन्नाभ्रम् – a broken, scattered cloud
इव – like
नश्यति – perishes
अप्रतिष्ठः – without support
महाबाहो – O mighty-armed one (Krishna)
विमूढः – bewildered
ब्रह्मणः – of Brahman
पथि – on the path

Anvaya (word order)

महाबाहो, ब्रह्मणः पथि विमूढः अप्रतिष्ठः उभयविभ्रष्टः (सः) छिन्नाभ्रम् इव कच्चित् न नश्यति ?

Explanation

Arjuna sharpens his anxiety with a poignant image — a scattered cloud. Imagine a small cloud that has broken away from a great mass of clouds. It cannot rejoin the mass, nor can it reach another large cloud. The wind blows it this way and that, and finally it dissolves into the sky without ever giving rain.

Arjuna fears that the unfinished seeker may meet the same fate. Ubhaya-vibhrashtah — fallen from both sides. On the one hand he gave up the path of worldly pleasure and desire-driven rituals, which would have brought heaven and the like; on the other, he did not reach perfection in yoga, which would have brought liberation. Shankara explains that he has fallen from both the path of works and the path of yoga. Neither material gain nor spiritual gain — will he be utterly lost?

Apratishthah — he has no foundation; vimudho brahmanah pathi — he is bewildered on the path to Brahman. It is the picture of one stranded in mid-stream. Arjuna addresses Krishna as mahabaho, mighty-armed — you who are able to protect all, will such a seeker not be protected?

The question brings out a great doubt in spiritual life: can the time and sacrifice spent on the spiritual path be wasted? Krishna's answer comes in 6.40, one of the most reassuring utterances of the Gita.

Context

In 6.37 Arjuna asked about the destiny of the unfinished seeker; here he clarifies his fear with the image of the scattered cloud. In the next verse (6.39) he begs Krishna to dispel this doubt completely.

Life lesson

Sometimes it seems that by walking the path of goodness we have lost worldly gains and still not reached the spiritual goal. In such a dilemma, ask honestly for guidance; the next verses show that sincere effort is never wasted.

Key terms

Chhinnabhra: a cloud broken away from the mass
Ubhaya-vibhrashta: fallen from both this world and the next
Apratishtha: without support or foundation
Brahmanah pathi: on the path to Brahman